Financial support mechanisms for low income households
1st of October, 2025
Information, advice and guidance services from October 2025
We know the difference receiving information, advice and guidance in the right place and at the right time can have on a person, on families and on the wider community. For many, getting the right support can reduce anxiety and financial worries. It can also help people to access benefits they did not know they were entitled to, help them appeal decisions where they may have been sanctioned by the DWP or make a case for extra financial support.
Following on from a review of advice services in 2024 and the robust procurement exercise that followed, from 1 October 2025 the delivery of this provision will be as follows:
- Groundworks North East – (Healthier and Wealthier contract), providing a specialist telephony healthcare referral pathway for patients attending primary care unit/pharmacy. Clients receive general advice and guidance including assistance with claim forms and referrals into community advice and support.
- Groundworks North East (Benefits Advice Contract), providing free, impartial, and confidential advice via a multi-channel offer, including assistance with claim forms.
- Karbon Homes (Appeal Support Contract), providing advice on eligibility and how to appeal decisions related to benefit entitlement plus support throughout the process including preparing and submitting documentation.
Citizens Advice County Durham are in the process of updating partners about the change
Accessing Support
Groundworks
From 1 October, residents will be able to access support from Groundworks North East for general advice in the following ways:
Email: adviceline@groundwork.org.uk
Telephone: 0330 4416515
A referral form will be available via the following webpage: www.groundwork.org.uk/north-east-and-cumbria/get-support/advice-guidance-in-county-durham
Groundworks North East will also be offering an appointment service at locations across the county, including Stanley, Chester le Street and Durham City.
Full details of the dates, times and venues that appointments can be booked at will be on both Durham County Council and Groundworks North East websites from 1 October 2025 Advice & Guidance in County Durham - Groundwork
Karbon Homes
Residents will be able to access appeal support from Karbon Homes in the following ways:
Email: moneymatters@karbonhomes.co.uk
Telephone: 0191 2238525
Their webpage address is as follows: https://www.karbonhomes.co.uk/about-us/media-centre/news/free-benefits-and-money-advice-with-money-matters
Citizen’s Advice County Durham (CACD)
From 1 October CACD will still be able available to help people with Debt and Energy problems across the county. They will have a simple contact form accessed via the website (https://www.citizensadvicecd.org.uk/) for residents needing help with Debt and Energy queries or they can contact Citizens Advice County Durham direct by telephone on 0300 323 1000.
From 6 October, volunteer led general advice sessions will be held at:
- Spennymoor: 71 High Street, Spennymoor DL16 6BB
- Seaham: Shakespeare House, Shakespeare Street, Seaham SR7 7JB
- Durham: Pelaw View Centre, Hilda Avenue, Durham DH1 2EH
- Barnard Castle: Woodleigh, Flatts Road, Barnard Castle DL12 8AA
- UTASS: 9-11 Chapel Row, Middleton-in-Teesdale DL12 0SN
Please refer to the website (https://www.citizensadvicecd.org.uk/) for up-to-date opening days and times for the above locations.
In addition to this externally commissioned service offer, Durham County Council will continue to provide an in-house welfare rights service for internal services to refer residents to. They will also continue to offer discretionary support with their welfare assistance scheme, offering support with food and fuel for residents who find themselves in a crisis. Finally, they will continue to administer the Household Support Fund on behalf of the DWP, with an open application process for residents to apply for support, as well as funding to our grassroots community partners to continue to support residents.
The service offered and extent of support provided by the County Council exceeds that which is available across any other area in the region, reflecting their continued commitment to supporting financially vulnerable households in line with their Poverty Strategy and Action Plan.